Kansas State is trying to win its fifth straight game and make a push for a respected bowl game. Oklahoma is hoping to keep its faint Big 12 championship hopes alive and to maintain its national ranking.

Cheers if

John Hubert has a big game. Kansas State is at its best when its senior running back is heavily involved in the offense.

Jeers if

Trevor Knight completes some early passes down field. If the Sooners become multi-dimensional on offense, they will be hard to stop.

Three things about Oklahoma

1 The Sooners aren’t at full strength on offense. Three starters — Blake Bell, Damien Williams and Lacoltan Bester — will reportedly miss Saturday’s game. Bell, from Wichita, has started the last eight games at quarterback, but is recovering from a concussion. Williams is Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer and Bester is a dependable receiver. They are both reportedly suspended for unspecified reasons.

2 Freshman Trevor Knight is expected to start at quarterback. He is a dual-threat player who opened the year as starter, but lost the job after two games. He came back and played well against Iowa State last week, leading the Sooners to a 48-10 victory after trailing late in the second half. He rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown.

3 Oklahoma has one of the nation’s best running attacks. It averages more than 230 rushing yards, and keeps defenses guessing by splitting carries among Brennan Clay and its mobile quarterbacks.

It will be up to K-State’s safeties to help the front seven stop Oklahoma’s dynamic rushing attack. That could be a challenge with Ty Zimmerman on crutches. Barnett has struggled against the run this season, taking bad angles and going for big hits instead standard tackles. Schellenberg is unproven.

Kellis Robinett’s pick: Kansas State 28-27

Both teams are missing key players and head into Saturday with question marks. But K-State has won five of at its last six home games, while Oklahoma has lost two of its last three games away from home. Snyder Family Stadium could make a big difference.